Google has moved up its Pixel unveiling for 2024, which will take place in August instead of October. At that event, Google will show off a raft of new hardware, including an updated foldable and flat phones in various sizes. At the top of Google’s flat lineup will be the Pixel 9 Pro XL, and this device is a bit less mysterious today, thanks to yet another leak.
Google is preparing a significant expansion of its Pixel family in 2024. It will integrate the second-generation foldable with the Pixel lineup, giving it the clunky moniker “Pixel 9 Pro Fold.” There will also be a new Pro-specced Pixel at a smaller size. The Pixel 9 Pro XL will fill the role of Google’s last few Pro-branded Pixels—the biggest phone with the most capable hardware.
Google’s pre-announcement of the Pixel 9 Pro and Pixel 9 Pro Fold has not stopped the deluge of leaks. Over on the XDA Forums, one lucky ducky has gotten their hands on the Pixel 9 Pro XL (code name ‘komodo’) early. This phone has reportedly been offered for sale by parties unknown. The prototype device isn’t booting—it’s probably been remotely disabled by Google—but the fastboot screen includes some key specs.
The leak reveals Google’s flagship to have an impressive 16GB of RAM, more than the 12GB we see in other high-end Android phones like the Galaxy Z Fold 6. There’s also 256GB of storage in this model, which suggests there may be a 128GB with less RAM. However, Google’s focus on AI means it could want as much RAM as possible in its flagship phone. Large language models mostly run in the cloud where memory isn’t a problem, but Google has optimized its Gemini Nano model for local use on Pixel phones.
The baseband specs of this device also confirms that Google’s newest Tensor G4 chip has an updated modem. The Pixel 9 family will probably all have the same Exynos 5400 modem seen in this phone. The Exynos 5400 is the successor to last year’s Exynos 5300, which we saw in the Pixel 8 family. This modem has a maximum data throughput of 14.79Gbps, and there’s built-in support for satellite connectivity.
Google will fully reveal the Pixel 9 family on August 13. We also expect to hear more about Android 15 and Google’s third-generation Pixel Watch.